Four games into the 2025 Western Athletic Conference schedule and there's no more worst-case scenario as far as result go than this for the UT Arlington men's basketball team. The Mavericks sit at the bottom of the standings at 0-4, tied with Abilene Christian one-quarter through the WAC slate.
The small bright side is that three of the losses were on the road and the fourth was to the conference leader at home. In that game, and two others, UTA had a lead late and could not hold it. The WAC has a good track record of home team wins, so the possibility of a rebound similar to last year is there, but the Mavs have to figure something out.
I heard Josh Sours mention before the Utah Valley broadcast that UTA was kind of in a must win situation when he interviewed head coach KT Turner in the pre-game. With every team making the conference tournament, I don't agree with that sentiment. A regular season championship is ceremonious in meaning and only the tournament winner has weight.
But, as far as confidence and fan support, I think he's right.
The slide started against Tarleton State. The once fierce Junior College rivals are headed down that path again, conference shuffling notwithstanding. After the Texans won both regular season games last year and UTA got the late-three in the semi-finals to win the most important one, this one was an anticipated game.
UTA trailed by six at the half but really played well in the second. With a little less than three and a half minutes left, UTA built a six-point lead. The Texans chipped away and the Mavs held a slim one-point lead as the game neared one minute left in regulation. Three turnovers, three fouls and only three shots taken within those last three minutes doomed UTA to a 77-74 loss.
The next game paradoxically didn't have the same challenge as UTA did not give up a late lead. In fact, they never had a lead after a Utah Tech scored first on their second possession on their way to a 74-62 win over the Mavericks. The closest UTA would get was one point three times in the first half of the ... first half. UTA would tie it at 22 with eight and half minutes left. That would be it for the Mavs as the Trailblazers would immediately go on an 8-0 run as part of an 18-5 overall run to close the first. Utah Tech was just lights out from three-point land, nine of 12 in the first half and 15 of 26 overall. On the bright side, it's the only game UTA did not blow a late lead.
Completing the three-game road trip to start conference play, UTA played Southern Utah in Cedar City. After trailing by five at the half, UTA went toe-to-toe with the Thunderbirds, getting a slim one-point lead for the first time in the second at the under four-minute mark. After trading buckets, UTA had another one-point lead under three minutes. Two turnovers, five fouls and one of eight shooting sealed the Mavs fate in a 73-68 loss and a three loss to no win conference mark.
UTA hoped a return to College Park Center would heal what ailed the Mavs. Hosting the early season WAC leaders, the Mavs hung tough, had a late lead, but couldn't hold it. UTA again trailed at the end of the first, but, as the WAC trend before, the Mavs battled to a six-point lead, before the Wolverines built their own eight-point lead.
With less than thirty seconds left, Graduate Senior guard Darius Burford gathered a loose ball on a fast break to get a four-point lead. An ill-advised foul by Graduate Senior forward Diante Smith led to two free throws for UVU. Smith was generous again as he turned the ball over. Graduate Student forward Lance Ware fouled late and UVU again hit the charity shots to tie and force overtime.
After a quick three from Smith in OT, the Wolverines led most of the rest of the overtime period, with a high of four twice. With less than a minute and a half remaining and that second lead of four, UVU gave the Mavericks a trip to the charity stripe twice sandwiched around a defensive stop. Unlike Utah Valley, the Mavs didn't hit all their free throws. UVU went 1-2 at the charity stripe on an intentional foul and Junior forward Raysean Seamster grabbed an offensive rebound and laid it back in to tie the game with roughly five seconds left.
It looked like the Mavericks were trying not to foul on the Utah Valley's inbounds as UVU's redshirt sophomore guard Trevan Leonhardt drove the length of the court and passed to redshirt freshman guard Jackson Holcombe who made a wide-open bucket under the basketball with less than a second left for the win. I get the idea of not fouling, but several people commented on social media that it looked easy for the Wolverines and I agree. They coasted fairly easily down the floor and a second defender stepped up when Leonhardt got close, leaving Holcombe open.
The good news is UTA isn't far off, having a late lead in three games. But good teams win those games. There are too many errors, forced and unforced and cold shooting late.
Bad news is one team on the list of losses sits in the top third of the standings. UVU is first in the WAC at 5-0, Tarleton is fourth at 3-2, Utah Tech is in a two-way tie for fifth at 2-2 while Southern Utah's lone win is good for seventh at 1-3.
Looking at the stats, the Mavs should be higher. In the nine-team WAC, UTA is second three-point percentage, third in total offense and assists, fourth in field goal percentage, scoring and rebounding margin. The two stats that stick out are total defense and turnover margin, both eighth. Turnovers were an Achilles heel last year and are playing a factor. UTA has not led at the half yet. Those turnovers are happening at all points in the game, early, middle and late. If there was a stat for late game shooting percentage, I believe UTA would be near the bottom in that one too.
It doesn't get easier for the Mavericks as Seattle looms on Thursday at College Park Center. The Redhawks had a tough few bounces in non-conference but looked strong to start WAC play. At 3-1, they are tied with Grand Canyon for second at 3-1. ACU in Abilene is on tap for Saturday.
UTA can turn it around. The talent is there. Until the track record says otherwise, Coach Turner has shown his teams do better in subsequent matchups with the limited sample size of last year. In 2024. his Mavericks were 7-3 in the regular season against WAC teams in the second game. He went 2-1 in the WAC tournament, avenging one of the losses in the aforementioned Tarleton game.
With UTA winless a quarter through the conference mark, UTA faithful are hoping for a similar result in 2025. Because as it is now. the Mavericks are colder than the current temp outdoors.
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